By Nour Abuaisha and Mohammad Sio
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Tuesday that its fighters targeted an Israeli armored personnel carrier with anti-tank shells in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said the attack occurred near the Abu Holi junction in the city’s southeastern part, amid escalating clashes between Palestinian resistance fighters and Israeli troops in the area. The brigades did not report whether the attack caused any Israeli casualties.
The attack followed Israeli warnings issued Sunday ordering evacuations in parts of southwestern Deir al-Balah. Witnesses reported intense fighting Tuesday between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in the region.
The Israeli army, for its part, confirmed Tuesday the death of two soldiers in the last 24 hours, taking the number of its military fatalities in Gaza since October 2023 to 895, according to official figures.
Despite more than 21 months since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, Palestinian resistance factions continue to conduct well-planned ambushes in the area, inflicting casualties on Israeli forces, showcasing Tel Aviv’s inability to achieve its war objectives.
Israel maintains strict censorship on reporting its military losses in Gaza and has not published an updated toll for its dead and wounded, prompting speculation that actual figures may be significantly higher.
Israel has killed more than 59,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system and led to severe food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.